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Director: Priyadarshan
Rating: **
An hour into ‘De Dana Dan’, you are at the exact same point you were the last time Priydarshan got a bunch of people to chase their tails in an enclosed space: struggling to keep your eyes open.
Essentially, Priyadarshan makes two kinds of films. One creates high drama, with the help of a deeply-saturated canvas, filled with lush colours, flamboyant figures, and large gestures. This can result in the spectacularly good (‘Virasat’), or the really, really bad (‘Doli Saja Ke Rakhna’).
The other is the Priyan brand of comedy, which isn’t too bothered about production values or continuity or keeping track of threads. ‘De Dana Dan’ falls into the latter category, and it is, in literal terms, a going south. He’s given us ‘Hulchul’ and ‘Hungama’, where the laughs are non-stop, and the film is light and frothy, and very, very funny. In his latest, he is making the same film—mistaken identities, star-crossed lovers, and an assorted bunch going around in circles. But he can’t do anything about the fatigue factor, resulting from there being nothing new about the treatment, or the content, such as it is.
The ‘Hera Pheri’ trio of Paresh-Akshay-Suniel have been harnessed to this tale, which is about, let’s see—a put-upon, done-in fellow (Akshay Kumar), who is a slave to a monstrous rich hag (Archana Puran Singh), and who loves a sweet, rich girl (Katrina Kaif), a courier delivery man (Suniel Shetty), and his sweet, rich girl (Sameera Reddy), a bogus businessman (Paresh Rawal) and his foolish son (Chunkey Pandey), a brassy hooker (Neha Dhupia). Wait, we are not even half done : after a point, when several other bit parts show up to claim their fifteen minutes of screen time, ‘De Dana Dan’ starts feeling like a railway platform where people jump on and off, without caring about what’s being left behind.
When you have too many characters to keep track of, you lose them. Akshay Kumar spends the second half locked in a cupboard, which is a darn sight better than his fate in the first half, where he spends most of his time getting his posterior kicked by Puran Singh. Not once, but many times. When the director does remember to free him, he is sent to execute a completely inconsequential item number with Katrina: how do you justify having these two on board otherwise?
You also end up with an elongated rubberband of a film— at nearly three hours, it is much too long, the laughs having dried up long back, even if the climax is watery: a rooftop pool bursts open, and the hotel the characters are in, is awash with wet bodies and forced banter.
The best lines are reserved, as has become the norm, for Paresh Rawal. He marches up and down corridors, flinging his lines about energetically, occasionally getting us to crack a laugh. The rest is a matter of passing the time, somehow.
(shubhra.gupta@expressindia.com)
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Found the movie quite well and the comedy really refreshing. 'De Dana Dan' is a good movie though the climacs of the flooding did look very unrealistic. But enjoyed the movie and would recommend to others. Frankly speaking, your assessment of the movie is not in sync with us at all.
This is a good movie. Agreed the end is a bit washed-out - but its a funny movie and the critic here doesn't know how to evaluate movies. He or She is biased for sure or doesn't know how to rate a movie or should go see a porn movie for the excitement he or she wants.
dear shubhra, its unfortunate that you dont understand the simple comedy film. mind you most of the audeience now days are going for a movie to burst their tension and fatigue, and D3 has done that with precisely. any way if you are so much interested in criticising, and if you feel your are fair enough to critise, then apply the same law and yard stick when your are criticising Karan, yash, and other bing banners- which you will not do and every one know it.
Stop making negative publicity about akshay kumar and his films. The film has rocked in theaters and every body has enjoyed it from start to end. All these media are becoming jealous about akshay kumar and his movies. They are trying to separate people on celebrities subject. So just don't do that. So I request people to watch the movie. Its just great
dude..have some shame b4 writing reviews..ad plz mention ur credibility..coz every movie is not supposed to be 'ART'...u better linger around art museums rather than watching mass entertainers & pondering over the 'artistic flavour'
Its a sad reflection on Indian public that half witted jokes with extravagant gestures and stupid punchlines qualify as comedies...at least the critics(most of them anyway) are now rating the movies on what they are rather than how they will be received by the audiences(TOI belongs to the satisfying the audience category).....no wonder there are very few great movies coming through.....A wednesday, Rock On and Dasvidaniya, three of the greatest movies of the last year did very little business except for metros and sank without a trace at the awards function....
The general sentiment expressed over here is absolutely spot on & these critics should rise above personal biases & lobbies to report waht ethically they are paid for..!!Coming to the Movie its a hilarious Laughter run-riot with complete entertainment for the entire family & sad the writer over here has been able to assign only 2 stars....It's Much-much better than the avrage Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani but the critics had been drolling over Katrina & Ranbir to give it 4-5 stars....!!These guys are from alleged camps of the Khans & Kumars and I hope it can be easily made out to which camp this writer too belongs....!!Journalism & Media these days too has attained the colors of Politicians...!!
I watch movies to get away from the tensions of city life and love to watch comedies and do not care much about the quality of the story or script!! this is is one of the best movies I have watched recently - full of fun! I really don't understand the critics they always give wrong ideas about a movie and biased in there critisism. In fact I find that if a critic gives a particular movie 3 star or more then that movie should be avoided because it will be full of cenematic qualities but without any entertainment.
It is really mindblowing and full of entertainment movie (pukka paisa wasool) I think this is one of the super hit movie of the year 2009. But i really don't understand about filmi critic why they against Akshay kumar,I beg you please write the truth.During this bad recession period you guy are the responsible of loosing bollywood business or market.Writing bull shit critic and look at last week release movie kurban,i know you will write good critic and also given 3star.Because that movie is from Karan Johar and what happe the result big flop...so mind it be always follow truth and sincere..
There should be critics to criticize critics. These idiotic critics have never made a film themselves, but they behave like god. I agree with other readers that most critics cannot tolerate Akshay Kumar, they prefer licking the a** of the khans instead. Akhay Kumar had once said that the sport of cricket is best served when its crtics (commentators, writers) are great people like Sunil Gavaskar and others who have actually played the game; but strangely in bollywood, none of the so-called critics have ever made a film themselves. What a bunch of egoistical losers!!
what happend to this reviewer? why he is always bias against akky
It was a nice movie as expected after fir hera feri. I dont know why the writer didnt like it? or she was expecting some Hollywood thriller instead!!!!!!
what is ur next project with this nice team
i dont know why some section of reviewers are throwing mud on an excellent film like de dana dan. may be they dont have the wisdom to enjoy harmless jokes.may be they dont have the mind to enjoy a great fun film. poor unlucky fellows. or are they just trying to pretend intellectual ? but please try to understand that true intelligence is in actually enjoying all good things without prejudices and intellectual masks which no one wants. dont forget that the same director has won national award for best film on one hand and has also made superhit comedies on the other hand.he knows when to get serious and when to become hilarious. not like this poor reviewer.
i don't understand what problems media has against akshay kumar????? and everyone else who writes on him negatively....shit!!!! down down with the system. the day is not yet over and all negative reviews flow in...just give me a break!!!!!